


Make No Friends

by Chash



Series: Disney Channel You [4]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hollywood, F/M, Gen, Meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-06
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2018-05-25 04:33:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6180313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chash/pseuds/Chash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bellamy likes his dumb procedural. It's fun. It's solid. The network does not agree.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Make No Friends

**Author's Note:**

> If you ever doubted that I was using Kane as a very thin stand-in for another showrunner in this verse, wonder no longer. This is basically venting in fanfic form, tbh. I know this is the second time I've done this this weekend; I assume that means it's out of my system :D

After fifteen years, Bellamy basically feels like he has a handle on Hollywood. He's been in a number of TV shows, done a decent number of movies over hiatuses, and feels confident in salary negotiations, on red carpets, and interacting with his fan base. He's learned that he prefers TV shows to movies, likes getting the chance to get to know castmates and dig into his character. Plus, he can basically stay in Vancouver, and he likes having a _home_. He has a yard and a couple dogs and a beautiful wife, on top of a good career. He's never going to be an A-list star, but he doesn't want to be.

Maybe Clarke would have been, but she fell out of acting in a natural, pretty accidental way; after her Jason Katims show ended, she decided she wanted to go to college, and once she finished college, Finn's ex-girlfriend Raven asked if they wanted to help out doing some celebrity promotions for the non-profit she worked for, and of course they both did. Clarke ended up getting more and more involved, and five years later, she's still working there, advocating for foster kids and systematically giving her Disney money away to various charities she likes.

Sometimes it still feels actually surreal, that this is his life, but in the best possible way. He's married to the first girl he ever seriously dated, he's lucky enough to have gotten steady work in a tough field, gets a great salary and has actual _savings_ , and scored a leading role on a pretty solid procedural. Their ratings are a little lower than the network would like, but he thinks they're still likely to last for a few more years. He and his costar, Gina, have a natural, easy chemistry, and while the "hardass investigator teams up with laid-back and actually magical non-professional and they are obviously in love" genre isn't breaking any new ground, they have a good cast and good writers.

Or they did.

Sinclair calls him over hiatus, which he should realize is a terrible sign, but he and Clarke are in Seattle, visiting Octavia for a week, and he's in such a good mood that it doesn't occur to him. Which is just how it goes in all the horror movies, right? The calm before the storm. But he likes Sinclair, and they hang out sometimes. He's a cool guy. Maybe he's just calling to chat.

"One sec, it's the boss," he tells Clarke, and ducks out onto Octavia and Lincoln's porch to take the call. "Hey, what's up?"

"The network wants to bring on a new executive producer."

"Okay," says Bellamy, slow. Sinclair is the showrunner, lead writer, and generally the person in charge of what happens on the show. But the network is, of course, in charge of him. "And?"

"And it's Marcus Kane. I know the two of you have some history."

It's weird, honestly, because Bellamy is more than ten years separated from working with Kane. And part of him still thinks maybe he was unfair about the whole thing, because--he was a kid, and he'd never acted before, and he didn't really know what was happening. Maybe Kane was right, and knew what he was doing the whole time. Maybe he wasn't an asshole like Bellamy thought he was, and there was a reason that he pretended for two years that his show had a different plot than it did. Maybe he was just a regular guy who was vaguely bitter he had to write a show about a princess. Which would make him a misogynistic idiot, but shouldn't get in the way of them having a professional relationship. Bellamy's an adult now, with years of experience under his belt.

On the other hand, Sinclair is warning him about this personally. And Kane could be such a _dick_ , honestly.

"Huh," he says, careful. "The network?"

"They're worried about our ratings. They think we need to go in a different direction."

"And they think Kane is a good idea for that," he says, slow.

"That is the opinion of the network."

Bellamy considers for a minute. "So, I'm in Seattle right now, but I'll be back in a couple days. You want me to call Gina when I'm home, we can get drinks and you can cry on us?"

"I could be persuaded."

"Cool, we'll set it up."

He flops down next to Clarke on Octavia's couch with a heavy sigh.

"What happened?"

"Apparently Marcus Kane is coming in to save the show."

"Fuck," says Clarke, instantly, and Bellamy laughs.

"Oh good, so I'm not overreacting."

"Any time anyone comes in to save a show you enjoy working on as is, it's probably a bad sign," she says, with the same easy authority she's always had.

"You know I have more industry experience than you do at this point, right?" he teases. "You've been out of the game for a while. You have no idea how it works anymore."

"And yet you still rely on my wisdom," she teases back. "That was Sinclair?"

"Yup. I told him me and Gina would get him drunk when we got back, so he's clearly really excited too."

"For the record, this is why people think you're cheating on me with her."

"People think that because they're incapable of separating fantasy from reality."

"And because you have a documented history of hooking up with your costars. The very first show you were ever on and you fell for the first celebrity who smiled at you."

"I'm shallow like that, yeah." He leans his head on hers. "You can come for drinks with us, you know Gina and Sinclair love you. And you've worked with Kane more than I have. Maybe your incredibly dated insights will help."

"Oh yeah, definitely, I want to hear all the stupid gossip." And then she grins, sudden. "I bet you twenty bucks his first act as whatever he is is going to be to decide you and Gina should be strictly platonic."

"Fuck," he says. "No bet."

"Yeah," says Clarke. "Sounds about right."

*

Gina Martin is two years younger than Bellamy, and _Some Enchanting_ is her first leading role. He has to admit that if he wasn't happily married, he'd probably be into her. She's awesome. Plus, as Clarke has pointed out on multiple occasions, he does love cute, snarky bisexual girls with curly hair, and Gina checks all those boxes.

Which is also why she and Clarke get along so well.

"So, how bad is this?" she asks, bright. They're just doing drinks at his and Clarke's place, on the grounds that it's private, cheap, and they have two dogs, whom Sinclair likes to hang out with because his husband is allergic. 

"Good question," says Clarke. "So, Bellamy really hated Kane."

"He kept lying to me about my motivation," Bellamy grumbles. Gina raises her eyebrows, and he scrubs his face. "Kane spent like two seasons telling us that our characters were never gonna hook up."

"But it was really obvious," Gina says, slow. "My sister wrote fanfic about you guys."

"I don't know if that was actually supposed to happen or they just got tired of fighting with Bellamy," Clarke muses. "It was maybe just him being too stubborn."

"There was no way that wasn't going to happen," he protests. "You had no other viable love interests. Chad was barely a character. And they kept writing clearly romantic shit and just saying it was platonic."

Clarke kisses his cheek. "I know. And he was a shitty writer too, it wasn't just Bellamy. He did that thing where, like--I don't know, we were all kids, so it was kind of weird already. Most of us actually had a lot of experience going in, except Bellamy, and he knew a lot about the Disney Channel, but he never wanted to listen to us. And Monty and Jasper would come up with ideas for plots for their characters and he'd just tell them it wouldn't work, and three weeks later we'd have basically the same plot, but tweaked so it was _feasible_ ," she tells Gina, making air quotes.

"Gross," says Gina.

"He's not very good at--" Clarke waves her hand vaguely.

"Fun," Bellamy supplies. "He was fucking weirdly serious about a Disney Channel original series where muppets were involved in more than one storyline."

"Maybe he's evolved," Clarke says, without much hope. "Maybe you taught him a valuable lesson about rolling with the show you're actually writing, instead of the show you wish you were writing."

Before they can actually consider that as a possibility, Sinclair shows up, downs a shot, and then lies down on the floor so the dogs can come and lick him, as is his custom.

"I'm thinking no," says Gina.

"The network thinks we need to be _darker_ and _edgier_. They think I'm not dark and edgy," Sinclair says.

"Yeah, uh, you're lying on my floor covered in dogs," Bellamy says. "I love you, man, but this doesn't really scream _dark and edgy_."

"Which is good!" says Gina. "We're a goofy show. We should stay goofy. I'm a fairy and use my magic to solve crimes."

"Fairies can be edgy," Clarke says. "Anything can be edgy if you believe. And Kane definitely believes. Again, he was invested in not being hacky in our Disney show. Which is actually fine, do the best you can with what you're doing. But he didn't know what _good_ meant in the context of our actual show. And I don't think the show he wished he was making was good either, honestly."

"Good is always me getting to make out with Clarke, for the record," Bellamy supplies.

"So our show can never be good?" Gina teases.

"I don't make the rules."

"He thinks we need to move away from the slow-burn and relationships in general," Sinclair says, ignoring them. "He thinks the two of you should stay--"

"Platonic," Bellamy and Clarke say together.

"Is he single and bitter?" Gina asks. "Is that what's happening? Like, maybe his wife left him right before he did your show or something? Does he have some sort of shipping-related tragic backstory?"

"That must be it," says Clarke. "I bet shippers killed his parents. Like Batman. Tumblr Batman."

"It's not like I _want_ to get canceled," Sinclair says, wisely ignoring them. "But does retooling like this ever actually work? I assume we alienate our existing fanbase and I don't know how we're attracting a new one."

Gina sits down next to him and pats his shoulder. "At least you've got us to get you drunk and cover you in dogs," she points out.

"Appreciated."

"And Bellamy beat him before," Clarke adds.

"I don't know if I really beat him. I just successfully got our characters together."

"Hey, the last season of the show turned out pretty well." She pauses. "Or, the second half of the last season."

"I think you might have just been in a good mood because you were getting laid," Bellamy tells her. "Just a thought. You were eighteen and had no standards, so even shitty sex was--"

Clarke shoves him, laughing. "I'm serious. That show isn't terrible. It routinely makes lists of _Disney shit that holds up pretty well_. Which is a major accomplishment."

"Obviously." He sits down on the floor next to Sinclair, and Hebe comes over to butt her head against him instead. "We've got this, okay? I know how to deal with him."

"Make fun of him and just ignore what he tells you to do because you understand your character better than he does?" Clarke suggests.

"And, if I play my cards right, I get him fired." He holds his hand out, and Clarke obligingly hands him a beer. "Cheers."

*

Honestly, he does assume there is some possibility that Kane has improved in the last fifteen years. Bellamy has, after all. He's a better actor, and possibly a better person.

"Nope," says Clarke. "If you were a better person, you wouldn't be stalking his IMDB credits and Twitter."

"If you were a better person, you wouldn't be helping me."

"I never claimed to be a good person." She makes a face. "Okay, yeah, this looks--like he went on to make basically what you'd expect. Definitely has a reputation for dark and gritty. Some shit-talking about _realism_ and the golden age of TV. I guess he got out of the Disney game around when we did? Still no sense of fun." With a sigh, she cranes her neck back to kiss his jaw. "I'm thinking you're not gonna like where this season goes, Bell."

"You think I can challenge him to a duel or something? And if he loses, he has to leave the show?"

"Wouldn't he be dead?"

"Ideally it's not a duel to the death. Not everything has to be to the death, Clarke." He rubs his face. "Fuck, it's a cute, fun little show. The ratings are solid. This is going to tank it."

"Maybe people like dark."

"I think people who like dark probably don't watch us. But I guess shows have revamped themselves before and done okay."

Clarke tugs him in and gives him a long kiss, all reassurance and warmth. "Or you can just stubbornly ignore him until he realizes you're right. It's worked for you before."

He smiles. "I totally turned around that Disney Channel trainwreck."

"I can't tell if you're using that as a description or bringing back _Disney Channel_ as a replacement curse word."

It's a fair point, and he gives it due consideration. "Let's go with both."

*

Their first official meeting with the producers is a week later, and that's the first time Bellamy and Kane actually interact. He's got a beard now, but otherwise looks largely the same. He's got a pleasant smile for Bellamy, but he can see the guy checking out his wedding ring when they shake hands, like he's somehow upset Bellamy is still married.

"Good to see you again, son," says Kane.

"You too," he lies. It's weird, because he wouldn't have said he hated Kane back then, but he thinks maybe part of it was just not knowing any better. He was a kid, and he had a good job. And Kane was kind of a dick, but--it's weird how much of a dick he was to a bunch of kids, honestly.

Maybe it's not hate; maybe he just would have been happy to never see the guy again.

"How's Clarke?"

"She's great. She's at a non-profit now, working with foster kids. I'll tell her you said hi."

Kane's smile seems genuine. "I'm glad the two of you made it work. Although I wish you'd been able to keep your feelings off the set. Then again, you were young. At least that won't be an issue here."

Bellamy's jaw ticks a little, but he reigns it in. Instead, he just smiles and says, "No, I'm sure we'll find all kinds of new issues."

Gina's already at the table, gives him a coffee when he sits down next to her. "This is the year you get fired, right?"

"Either I do or he does, yeah." He sips the coffee. "Are you going to kick my ass if I start flirting with you to piss him off?"

"Are you still going to get your wife to set me up with that hot girl from trivia last month?"

"Raven's out of town for another week. But yeah, after that."

She nods. "I'm not going to flirt back."

"Fair enough." He sighs and leans back in his seat, closing his eyes. "So, what do you think the season looks like?"

"I asked Sinclair and he told me he was going to the dog park to cry later. So you tell me."

Bellamy thinks it over and finally decides, "Well, I'm glad he has a plan."

It's not like their show was all sunshine and rainbows to begin with, but there's always an undercurrent of hope and happiness. Just because they're investigating murders most of the time doesn't mean their lives are unrelentingly grim.

The last season ended pretty well; Gina's character, Ariel, is a fairy child switched with a human at birth, and she spent the first two seasons trying to find the girl she was switched with, whom she thinks of as a kind of sister. Bellmay's character is the PI she hired to help, but they got involved in a kind of partnership pretty quickly, once he started to figure out that magic and mythology was all real, and the last season ended with him asking her to join him as an actual paranormal investigator, full-time. They hadn't left many loose ends, in case it had to be a series finale, but there were plenty of places for the story to go. Sinclair had ideas.

He doesn't look defeated now, or he wouldn't, not if Bellamy didn't know him. He's hiding it well. "Okay, everyone, welcome to season three. As you know, we were a bubble renewal, so let's all take a minute to be thankful we got here." There's cheering from the table, and that gets a real smile out of him, at least. "Now, the network is hoping to boost our ratings this season, and they've sent Marcus Kane to help us overhaul our season."

That gets less applause, no surprise. Everyone likes their dumb fairy PI show. It's _theirs_. It's fun.

If Kane notices the lukewarm reception, he doesn't seem concerned. "I'm looking forward to working with you all," he says, and his eyes flick to Bellamy. Bellamy gives him a perky smile.

"You're deranged," Gina mutters.

"Love you too."

"This season we're going more serialized. More episodes will tie into a central plot, and we think it would be good to delve into who Prosper and Ariel are when they aren't together." Bellamy actually _winces_ , and Gina frowns.

"When they aren't together?" she asks.

"Obviously the partnership wouldn't have worked out," says Kane. "We're picking up six months after the season finale, when Prosper and Ariel have gone their separate--" 

Bellamy can't help it; he raises his hand. And he can see it, Kane thinking about pretending not to see him, but Sinclair is still in charge, so he's the one who says, "Bellamy?"

"Why didn't it work out?"

"Prosper has always been a lone wolf--"

"Who had two years to see Ariel's worth and what she can contribute to cases he has no background for because he's a regular human."

"Who has no formal training in this," says Kane, smooth. "It's not hard to see how the two of them would fall apart."

"But we've spent two years seeing how they learned to trust each other," Bellamy says. "And apparently we're not even going to see why they fell apart." He leans forward. "Are they going to stay apart?"

"No, the season-long case will require them to work together," says Sinclair. He levels a look at Bellamy, one that says _I tried_. "It's the opinion of the network that a relationship without conflict is--"

"So we're going to spend another season learning to trust each other and work together?" Gina asks. "Didn't we do that last season? And the one before that?"

"This will bring you to a deeper level of partnership," says Sinclair, like he's reading off a card. "Prosper has a new girlfriend, Ariel has a new boyfriend. Prosper is out of the supernatural investigation business, but when his girlfriend--"

"If you say dies, I swear to god," says Bellamy.

"He needs something to draw him back in," says Kane.

"Why? It's fucking _supernatural crime_. He thought it was interesting and he wanted to do more with it. We don't need some disposable love interest to make him interested. We've had two seasons establishing that he's interested in this. It's insulting." He glances at Gina. "Does her love interest get killed too?"

"Not immediately."

"Great," says Gina. "So, we're dating other people, not talking to each other, and investigating a string of murders including Prosper's girlfriend. That's the setup?"

"Obviously we'll end the two-part premiere with her murder--"

"Seriously, no," Bellamy says. "Come up with another reason. I don't fucking care. Anything. We're not fridging anyone. It's fucking stupid."

Kane's eyes flash. "This isn't your call, Bellamy. You're not--"

"I'm not sixteen anymore," he says. "Look, you want to separate us, fine. I don't think it's a good story, but I'm not a writer. But dead girlfriend is a gross cliche and I'm sick of it. If you think we need justification for Prosper getting back into supernatural shit, have someone else die. His bartender. One of his clients. I don't care. Anyone else."

"That's a good point," Sinclair says. "I think avoiding the fridging trope is worthwhile. And, honestly, as soon as Prosper and Ariel have new love interests, everyone's going to assume they'll get killed off. If Prosper and Cassandra had problems because he can't tell her about what he's really investigating, and his complicated past with Ariel--"

"Complicated past?" Gina asks. She glances at Bellamy. "What's our complicated past again?"

"Apparently we stopped hanging out for six months, that's probably complicated." He turns his attention back to Kane. "So, let me guess. Ariel's boyfriend is secretly involved in the murders, he tries to turn her to the dark side, we have to kill him, she cries but ultimately moves on, and by the end of the season we're partners again, but definitely just friends."

Kane's jaw works. "There's more to it than that."

He should have brought a fucking flask. "But that's part of it."

"As always, Bellamy, you have a commendable understanding of the narrative."

"Thanks," he says. "So, season three?"

Maybe Kane will just drink himself to death and save Bellamy the trouble. He looks like he wants to. "Season three."

*

By the time the first script comes out, Bellamy's mostly resigned himself to some stupid shit going down. He and Gina aren't going to interact for the first two episodes, which seems stupid, given Kane is continuing to claim their relationship is the heart of the show, but he wasn't really expecting any better.

He skims the script for the season premiere with his head in Clarke's lap, periodically reading his least favorite lines aloud so she can make disapproving noises. Gina texts him long strings of upset emoji, and Sinclair apologizes a lot, because apparently the network loves what Kane did.

"Why don't I get to control the world?" Bellamy grumbles. "I'm right. I'm always right."

"It's true. You should just write all your shows."

"Write, produce, direct, star in--I should just do everything. One-man show."

"You're firing Gina?"

"She'll understand. Trust no one."

"Are you going to make out with yourself? Have classy, tastefully done sex scenes with yourself? I'd be into that. Hot Bellamy-on-Bellamy action."

"I should try to talk Kane into that. If he doesn't want Prosper hooking up with Ariel, maybe we can at least have Prosper hooking up with his doppelganger."

Clarke pauses. "You know, I was going to say you should tell him to do it for me, but I don't think he likes me either."

"Probably more than he likes me." He sighs and throws the script aside. "It's not, you know--it's fine, writing-wise. But the entire season feels like such a waste. We spend a bunch of time doing relationship-building stuff on a relationship that apparently fell apart off screen, and then by the end of the season we're back to being friends and partners, but everyone is more traumatized. So--what the fuck is the point?"

"Soft reboot," she says.

"Again, you can stop acting like you're an industry insider," he says, grinning when she leans down to kiss him. "Seriously, you're not even an actress anymore. I should dump you for someone more on my level. I'm a solid B-list celebrity, I could definitely trade up."

"Don't dump me for Gina just to spite Kane. There are lines, Bellamy. And Raven really likes her."

"Fine, we can stay married. But I'm not happy about it."

"Obviously not." She tangles her fingers in his hair, massaging his scalp gently. "Sorry you have to put up with Kane again."

"It's cool. I'm always right, so as soon as we start getting reviews in, I'm going to rub them in Kane's face. Which I totally would have done on _Princess Proper_ , except no one really critically reviews the Disney Channel. So this will definitely be more satisfying."

"What if people prefer the new darker and edgier version?" she asks.

"Then I drink myself into a stupor. Never talk to Kane again. Maybe fake my own death."

"Yeah, that's definitely a totally proportionate response." She presses her lips against his forehead. "Sorry, Bell."

"It's fine. It's just a show."

But it _is_ annoying. Prosper and Ariel are on the same side again by the second episode, but they're not actually working _together_ , so it doesn't really feel like the same show. Prosper is investigating the humans who were killed, while Ariel and her fairy boyfriend try to figure out more about the perpetrator. His own love interest is fine; he likes Echo, the actress who's playing her, well enough, and the arc she actually gets is a vast improvement over getting killed off in the second episode, but everything about her is still obviously _temporary_. Gina's new love interest, Roan, is also cool, but Bellamy never gets to film with him, because why would he ever interact with his costar and her love interest? He only gets a few scenes per episode with Gina herself, let alone Roan, so he grits his teeth and also steps up Prosper's obvious pining over Ariel, mostly, admittedly, out of spite. Not that he doesn't think they're the show's endgame pairing; his character's first name is _Eric_ , seriously. Everyone on the planet who cares has not missed the Eric/Ariel theme-naming bonus. It's going to happen. Sinclair will make sure of that.

And, honestly, it's kind of fun, winding Kane up again. Not as fun as it would be to be on the show he used to be on getting to act with his costar whom he likes, instead of off in weird, separate storylines because the two of them being apart is more dramatic or whatever, but he always kind of enjoys having a nemesis. And Gina still comes over after work with Raven for drinks and complaining about Kane's bullshit, so it could be worse.

"Maybe you're growing a a person," Clarke remarks, when he tells her as much.

"No, I don't think that's it."

"Maybe you're sick."

"Yeah, that's much more likely."

*

At least Bellamy is _right_ , which is one of those things that's a cold comfort, because it's not like it's fun, to be right about how Kane is fucking up his show, because now their fans are upset and their ratings are probably going to go down, and the network will cancel them, whereas if Kane had just left them the fuck alone, maybe they'd still be a fun procedural about magical crimes with a decent viewer base, instead of a gritty procedural about fairy serial killers, which is one of those phrases which is very hard to say with a straight face. 

Luckily Bellamy is a good actor.

"So, what's the correct way to brag to Kane about all these articles that appreciate that my girlfriend didn't get killed off?" he asks Clarke. "I'm thinking, like, Edible Arrangement? And then a card that just says _SUCK IT_."

"You know that's what you got me for our last anniversary, right?"

"Yeah, but Kane doesn't. And he'd be sucking something else."

"Ideally, yeah." She taps her jaw. "You could be the bigger person and not brag."

"Serious suggestions only, please."

She grins. "Okay, be the bigger person and just, you know. Ask if he's been reading the reviews. I don't think you want to rub it in his face."

"You have so much faith in me. I definitely want to rub it in his face. I've been very clear about that."

"Okay, yeah, but--in a way that lets you be right and also seem like you're not bragging. Which will definitely piss him off more." She rests her head on his shoulder. "Trust me, I come from a very passive aggressive family."

"Believe me, I know. Why do you think we never go to your house for Thanksgiving?"

"About a billion reasons. Seriously, though. I vote for taking the high road. I guarantee it will be more satisfying."

"I make no promises."

In the end, though, Kane brings it up before Bellamy can. It's not like he's on set that often, but the next time he is, he just gives Bellamy a wry smile and says, "I assume you've been waiting to say you told me so."

Bellamy shrugs one shoulder. "I figured you knew."

"I'm not trying to ruin your life. Or your show. Did you know the best received episodes are your serious ones? Every time."

"They're good episodes," he says. But he can't leave it there. "You can't just have a show that's made up entirely of serious, game-changing episodes, though. People like them because they're earned and they're climactic, but they grow from smaller episodes." He's not sure why he's the one explaining this, and why no one else has ever told Kane, in the last fifteen years, how things work, but apparently it's on him. "You need to have a status quo to break it. It doesn't work if you try to do it every single episode."

"I'm not the enemy here, Bellamy."

"I never said you were." He takes a sip of coffee. "Look, I get that we're not a ratings giant and the network wanted to help us. That's cool. We're their show. But I still don't think the direction you went was the right call."

"You never agree with what I do," says Kane, sounding a little amused.

"You did hook up Ian and Penny. Eventually." Kane is being kind of nice, so he adds, "I think the serialized plot is decent. Too gory, considering we've got a decently sized younger fanbase, but the idea is solid. I just think separating Prosper and Ariel instead of developing the partnership was stupid. And, again, too many serious episodes. The show used to have a sense of humor." He grins. "Have you considered that I could date a cat again?"

Kane cracks a smile too. "We are reworking the second half of the season. To be more--whimsical," he finally settles on, like he's choking on the word. "Keeping the serialization without sacrificing all of the development."

"Wow, that's a great idea. Someone should have suggested that. Like our showrunner. Or our stars. Or--"

"Good talk," says Kane, and Bellamy sighs. Maybe he does want to be the bigger person.

"Look, I get that you were doing what the network wanted. I would have told the network they were wrong too."

"I'm honestly amazed Clarke is the one who left Hollywood and you stayed," he says, with a wry smile.

"What can I say? We like surprising people."

*

"So, you're working with Marcus Kane again, correct?"

Bellamy's smile freezes for a second. He should have seen this coming. 

The reporter, at least, doesn't seem to notice. "He was the one who gave you your big break back on _Princess Proper_ , wasn't he?"

"That was Clarke," he says without thinking, and then realizes he probably needs to not say exactly that. He can be diplomatic. "Not that Marcus didn't help, of course. I'm just used to giving her the credit. She convinced him to take a chance on me. Group effort."

She looks charmed, so he assumes that his obvious love for his wife is showing over his general distaste for the guy who didn't want to hire him fifteen years ago because he was _too ethnic_.

"And how is it being reunited with Marcus?"

"It's been interesting," he says. "It's strange because, of course, we started out on the Disney Channel, and it was a really different kind of show." The reporter laughs softly, and he grins. "Yeah. Very different vibe. So working with him now, it's almost like working like him for the first time."

"Speaking of very different--" He groans, good-natured, and she laughs again. "Yeah, there's been a lot of talk about the changes to the basic structure of the show this season."

"Well, it's a bubble show," he says. "Which means that we're generally a questionable renewal. The network wanted to try retooling us, which--" He gives her a grin. "I'd rather get retooled than canceled any day. And I like a lot of what we've done. I think the season plot is really cool, and Echo and Roan have been really fun additions to the cast."

"A lot of people didn't expect them to last more than two episodes."

"There was talk of that, but I think they decided that bringing in new characters just to write them off was ultimately less interesting than using them to explore sides of the characters we don't usually see. Ariel's family obviously took most of the focus in the first two seasons, so with Jen, we get a chance for someone outside of the situation to look at how all this stuff is affecting Prosper's life. Which is side of him we haven't seen before, and it's fun for me to get to explore."

"So, what are you most interested in coming in to the back half of the season?"

"This is going to sound bad since I mentioned how much I like the serialized plot, but we have a couple more stand-alone, comedic episodes that I'm looking forward to. Gina's so great at comedy, I love getting to see her let loose."

"You're not bad yourself."

"Yeah, but if I say that, it's conceited," he says, flashing her a grin.

The final print version of the article comes out and Bellamy manages to come off pretty well.

"It's almost like you don't hate him," Clarke teases.

" _Blake clearly holds some fondness towards Kane for helping to introduce him to his wife, former actress Clarke Griffin_." He groans. "Can I sue for libel?"

"Because they said you like your boss?"

"Yeah, how fucking dare they?"

Clarke laughs and kisses him. "As your wife and best friend, I think you should not attempt to sue one of the only publications that has asked to interview you this season because they implied you might be grateful for Kane's role in introducing the two of us. Open auditions _were_ his idea, you know."

"Fuck. Do I actually owe him?"

"The same amount you owe Octavia for convincing you to go. Or your mom, for being so completely uninvolved in your life that she didn't care about anything you did."

"I don't think she would have stopped me." He nuzzles her hair. "But you picked me."

She smiles, relaxes back against him. Fifteen years later and she's still the best part of his entire Hollywood career. Just her. "Yeah," she says. "I picked you."

*

Kane doesn't get fired, but he does announce, at the end of season party, that the network is not asking him to return as a producer next season.

"It's been a real pleasure working with most of you," Kane says. "And a real experience working with the rest of you. Again," he adds, raising his glass to Bellamy.

Bellamy's already mildly drunk, with his wife curled around him, and he totally won this, so he just grins and returns the toast.

"See you in fifteen years, right?" he says.

"That sounds like the correct recovery period," Kane agrees, and turns his attention back to the rest of the group. "Congratulations on season four, and I genuinely wish you all the best."

"That was a concession speech. I think this means you won," Clarke remarks. "You did it."

"Maybe in fifteen years, he'll just listen to me to begin with."

"Don't get carried away with optimism there," she teases. "I'm the one who's going to have to deal with your crushed dreams when he's still trying to destroy your shows in fifteen years. I mean, assuming you don't divorce me for a hot young A-lister like the Hollywood douchebag you are."

He leans in to press his mouth against hers. "Assuming that doesn't happen, yeah. That's gonna be your job."

"So let's keep our expectations realistic. For my sake."

A good job, a wife he loves. A couple kids, he thinks, someday soon. When they feel like it. That's where he's going to be in fifteen years, too. Just this. 

"Realistic," he agrees. "Yeah. I can be realistic."


End file.
